BRUTAL IRISH
MURDERSSpecial
EDITIONIssue 2
True Crime Stories
From All Over Ireland
Woman burnedalive in Donegal
Man murdered onhis wedding day
Family of fivemurdered in
Galway
Child starved todeath because hecould not be sold
Judge weeps ashe passes death
sentence
Woman tortured to death for
being a witch
AND MANY MORE
Page 2 Ireland History Magazine
There is perhaps no more fruitful form of education than to
arouse the interest of a people in their own surroundings
The Ireland History Magazine is a bimonthly publication
compiled by the Glenravel Local History Project. It is just one
of several of our titles which aims to promote an interest in the
subject of local history. It has always been claimed that history
belongs of the higher classes and looking at the way it has been
presented for decades then this would seem to be the case. We
are not interested in the history of lords and earls, their estates and
titles, instead we are interested in the history of every day life.
The Glenravel Local History Project is a local historical scheme
based in the North Belfast area. It’s activities are centred around
the educational promotion and restoration of the areas historic
burying ground at Clifton Street and is named after the nearby
Glenravel Street which was destroyed to make way for the
disastrous Westlink road system.
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Ireland History Magazine Page 3
THE TRAGIC DEATH OF NANCY FERRY IN DONEGAL
Bella McIlwaine, a 35 year-
old woman from Lunagh,
Donegal, was indicted for that
she, on 13th June 1888, at
Lunagh, in County Donegal,
did feloniously, wilfully and of
malice aforethought, kill and
murder one Nancy Ferry.
Her trial was scheduled for
December 14th 1888 at
Donegal, the prisoner being
held until then in Derry Gaol.
Mr Gerard Q.C. and Mr Irvine
Q.C. represented the Crown
and Mr Gaussen represented
the prisoner. Bella McIlwaine
pleaded not guilty.
Mr Gerard in stating the case
for the prosecution said that as
the jury had heard from the
Clerk of the Crown, the charge
against the prisoner was that
she murdered Nancy Ferry, an
elderly woman, somewhere
around sixty-seven years of
age. She was a delicate, small
woman and resided in a village
called Lunagh, in one of the
wildest districts of Donegal.
The deceased lived alone in a
little cabin containing only one
room and the prisoner resided
about sixty-five or seventy
yards from her. The first that
was known of the occurrence
which resulted in Ferry’s death
was upon the evening of the
13th June and the first
intimation that something had
happened were cries on the
road - the cries of this poor
woman some time around eight
or nine o’clock. Two witnesses
were examined to depose to
that fact. They proved that
when they came up they found
her sitting on the road. Her
clothes were on fire, not
blazing but smouldering and
she was in a very mutilated
condition. Besides the fire on
the poor woman’s breast she
had wounds on her head. The
neighbours came and
extinguished the fire and while
they were so engaged the
prisoner, Bella McIlwaine,
appeared upon the scene,
coming from the direction of
her own house, having already
passed the residence of the
deceased.
Patrick and Daniel McGarvey
were examined and they
claimed that as soon as Nancy
Ferry saw McIlwaine she
blamed her for what had
happened. McIlwaine at once
exclaimed “Heavens, how
could that be? I have two
witnesses to prove that I was
not there at all.”
Ferry in a very weak condition
was taken to her cabin. She
lingered on until the month of
August, when she succumbed
to her injuries. On the day after
the occurrence Bella
McIlwaine was arrested and
brought before Ferry. Ferry
could only speak Irish, but a
person was there to translate
what she said and on this
occasion also the deceased
repeated the charge she had
made against the accused. She
said that McIlwaine came into
her house while the poor
woman was upon her knees
praying. She had observed a
stone in her hand and she
claimed that when McIlwaine
realised that she was
alone“Are she rushed upon her
and struck her several blows on
the head. McIlwaine first
pulled her to the ground and
repeatedly beat her about the
head, until she thought that she
was dead. Leaving her on the
floor, the accused went out by
the back door but she allegedly
returned shortly afterwards. It
was then that she seized the
poor old woman, dragged her
over to the fire and crushed her
Her clothes were on fire, not
blazing but smouldering and she
was in a very mutilated condition.
Page 4 Ireland History Magazine
on to it. She pushed her hand
into the fire and took some of
the burning coals and put them
on the old woman’s bosom
under her clothes. When these
depositions were made to the
police McIlwaine said that the
old woman must be drunk and
if a search was made for the
bottle it would be found to
contain whiskey, suggesting
that what had happened had
been the result of drunkenness
- that the drunk old woman had
fallen into the fire. No traces
of drink were found in the
house or upon the old woman.
Nancy Ferry insisted that
McIlwaine was to blame for
the assault and she restated
how she grabbed both her
hands and pressed both her
arms into the fire.
Nancy Ferry claimed that she
managed to get up off the fire
and tried as best she could to
quench the the fire, but the
more she tried the worse it got.
After McIlwaine was arrested
however a search was made of
her house. Among certain
articles which were taken away
by the police was an apron,
stained with blood. At the trial
the jury heard how
McIlwaine's cruelty had
continued for years. A sheep
of Bella McIlwaine had
trespassed on her corn about
five years previous and when
she went to complain to her
about it McIlwaine struck her
on the head with a stone and
also attacked her dog and
disabled it. Some things had
happened between them since
that occasion. The previous
winter a pit of potatoes were
stolen from Ferry and some
small ones were left in their
place. Nancy Ferry did not
accuse McIlwaine of stealing
them but she was suspicious of
her cruel neighbour.
From the testimony which was
presented to the jury counsel
thought the jury must decide
that a murder had been
committed and it would be
their duty to decide whether the
prisoner at the bar was
responsible for the death of this
old woman, Nancy Ferry.
The jury, after an hour and a
half deliberation, returned with
a verdict of guilty.
SENTENCE OF DEATH
PRONOUNCED ON THE
ACCUSED
The Clerk of the Crown asked
if the the prisoner had anything
to say why sentence should not
be pronounced on her?
Prisoner - I have nothing to say.
I am as clear as God of the
murder.
His Lordship in passing
sentence said, Bella McIlwaine,
during the greater part of the day
the Court has been occupied in
trying this serious charge
brought against you. The jury
have listened to the case with the
greatest patience, care and
attention. You have been
defended by a very capable
advocate and I believe that not
a single thing that could be said
on your behalf has been left
unsaid. This jury has found you
guilty of the wilful murder of a
neighbour of yours whom you
must have known for years.
The prisoner was sentenced to
death, the execution to be
carried out on January 4th at
Derry Jail 1889. A
reccomendation to mercy was
asked to be considered on the
woman’s behalf since there had
been some ill-feeling between
the prisoner and the deceased
which was not brought out in the
case.
Bella McIlwaine was saved
from the hangman at the last
moment.
She then lifted the
tongs and put coals
into her dress and
set it on fire. She
then put a large
coal inside her
clothes on her
breast and another
on her back. She
then left the house
leaving the poor
woman on fire.
Ireland History Magazine Page 5
Page 6 Ireland History Magazine
O n Sunday evening,
September 18th 1853,
a startling and dreadful event
took place in a well-known
house of disrepute in French
Street, Dublin. A gentleman
attempted to take the life of a
girl living in the house at
number 27 French Street and
them immediately afterwards
committed suicide.
It appears that shortly after
four o’clock, some boys
playing near the house which
was kept by a person calling
herself ‘Fanny Stuart’, were
startled by the sharp report of
a pistol shot, immediately
followed by the scream of a
woman and shortly after a
second shot was heard. The
boys were greatly alarmed
and ran to alert the local
policeman who quickly
attended the scene. As he
was admitted to the house he
was told that both shots had
been fired by a gentleman
who was then in the back
bedroom and when the
constable entered the room
he was horrified to see the
body of a man stretched at
full length on the floor and
bleeding from a chest wound.
The man was already dead
and a portion of his shirt
ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE IN DUBLINaround the wound and the left
collars of his waistcoat were
on fire. It appeared as if the
muzzle of the pistol had been
quite close to the man’s chest
when fired.
The girl who was with him
and who he had been trying
to kill before taking his own
life, was found lying on a sofa
in the drawing room,
bleeding from several
wounds, inflicted by small
shot, scattered over her right
side, from the temple to the
knee, and her dress was blood
stained.
The injured girl, Emma
Fawcett, was taken to
hospital but she was not
seriously wounded. She did
however make a statement on
her discharge, which showed
how miraculous her escape
from death really was.
She stated that she left the
man sitting in the bedroom to
go down to the drawing room
and had been absent for a
short time when she heard
him calling for her. She went
out and found him standing
on the landing looking down
at her and she started to climb
the stairs when he stepped
forward with a pistol in his
right hand and instantly fired
at her. The charge, which
appeared to have been of
small shot, struck her in a
downwards direction and she
immediately turned and
rushed back into the drawing
room shouting,’I am shot’
and then fainted.
The man had been living with
Emma Fawcett since the end
of August and had seldom left
the house since then. On the
31st August he had gone to
the King’s Bridge Terminus
for some suitcases he had left
there and then a few days
later more luggage arrived,
including a large trunk, which
had never been opened in the
house.
The mysterious dead man
appeared to have a
considerable sum of money,
which he spent in the most
lavish manner, purchasing for
all the females in the house
and particularly for Emma
Fawcett, clothes, jewellery
and even an accordion. Not
withstanding his great
extravagance, he left after
him a bag filled with
sovereigns, which was found
in a closet off his bedroom by
Ireland History Magazine Page 7
the police. The man said his
name was Webster and that he
was a veterinary surgeon,
attached to the Queens
establishment, and
subsequently stated that he
had been some time in
Australia. The proprietor of
the house, "Fanny", stated that
the man was never drunk and
was of good nature but Emma
Fawcett told the police that
the man was scarcely ever
sober and that during his last
two days, he was constantly
intoxicated and was becoming
quite insane in his conduct
and manner.
When his room was searched
the police found on the
dressing room table several
pistols and beside them a bag
of bullets, together with a
quantity of powder. A
considerable quantity of
gentlemans clothing, of the
best style and quantity was
lying about. The man’s
identity however remains a
mystery to this very day,
despite the police placing
advertisements in newspapers
with his description.
At the inquest evidence was
heard that the man was in a
state of delirium tremens
when he committed suicide
and attempted to kill Emma
Fawcett. The sum of £108, a
gold watch, gold chains, some
business cards of Mr Watson,
a wine merchant of Alston,
and a veterinary surgeons
knife were found in the room.
There was also a gun case, on
the side of which was a
written card, Robert Webster,
passenger to Dublin. He was
only 35 years of age although
he looked much older, as
though he had had a life of
hardship or dissipation. He
had lost most of his teeth, and
wore a wig as he had been in
hospital and his head had been
shaved. He had a small
miniature of himself in a
Morocco leather case, which
was a faithful likeness of the
man.
The jury found that the man
had attempted to kill Miss
Fawcett and that he had taken
his own life while in a
delirious state.
The Kings Bridge Terminus
True Irish Crime ReportsDublin City Commission, March 1881
A TASTE FOR GOLD JEWELLERYJames Byrne, alias James White, was convicted of
attempting to steal a locket, the property of Francis
Lynch, Great Brunswick Street. There were three
previous convictions against the prisoner for stealing a
gold watch, a gold chain and a gold locket. He was
sentenced to five years penal servitude. When sentence
was pronounced a female ran shrieking out of the gallery.
Page 8 Ireland History Magazine
THE PALMERSTOWN MURDEROn the 9th June 1865 on the county boundary
of Meath and Dublin the body of a young
woman named Margaret Farquhar was found
in a ditch by the side of the road. There was no
doubt that she had been murdered as her body
was beaten and bruised and her death had been
a violent one.
On the evening she was murdered Margaret
Farquhar left her brothers house, where she
lived, and went to the local shop Shelvey’s to
get some tobacco for her brother but did not
return. She was seen leaving the shop at around
eight o’clock by a Mr Fitzpatrick and then the
last person to see her was her killer Patrick
Kilkenny.
Patrick Kilkenny had known Margaret for
around twelve years and they used to go to
dances, races and fairs together, and were well
known in the area. They had a tempestuous
relationship and Margaret would get jealous of
Patrick paying attention to other girls. Nine
months before her death Margaret agreed to
marry Patrick but kept putting it off saying that
they did not have enough money and that they
had to save. Two weeks before the murder the
couple had a quarrel on the road and Patrick
pushed her into a ditch and she got wet but there
was no further violence. They had argued about
their plans to go to America and Patrick said
that he would go without her.
A couple of days later they met up again and
this time they attended a fair at Rathcath where
they intended buying calves. They remained
at the fair dancing and drinking for six hours
but later Margaret told Patrick that she had
found someone else, a rich baker from
Garristown, and that she had no more need for
Patrick. They apparently parted on good terms
with Patrick saying he would go to America on
his own.
The next meeting of the couple was on the day
of the murder. They bumped into each other
outside Shelvey's where they were both buying
tobacco. Margaret told him about a letter she
had received from a suitor in America. He had
sent her a photograph and some money to buy
a watch and it was obvious that she was trying
to make Patrick jealous. She asked him to wait
for her as she went home with her brother’s
tobacco. As she was leaving he trod on the tail
of her coat by accident and Margaret got very
angry and began calling Patrick the devil, and
she shouted that she was fond of him but would
never look at him again.
Patrick Kilkenny snapped and hit her with his
shut hand on the neck and the breast. Margaret
tumbled into the ditch near which she was
standing. There were about two or three feet of
mud and water in the ditch and she fell into it
head first. Patrick jumped in after her and as
he was lifting her she began to scream. At the
same time Patrick could hear noise coming from
the road and he heard the voices of Margaret’s
sister Kitty and her fried Biddy Monaghan
coming up the road with about six people.
Patrick tried again to lift Margaret but she gave
a screech and he let her drop again on her head
into the ditch.
Patrick jumped out of the ditch and sat down
and smoked, to wait and see if any one would
come and take her up or assist her. He thought
Margaret was lying still out of spite, to make
him believe she was dead. The crowd passed
Ireland History Magazine Page 9
and Patrick continued to smoke until they were
out of sight. When he returned he could not
find Margaret at first, but she had not gone far,
but this time he found her in the ditch with the
water over her head.
Patrick then decided that she was dead and he
went home and changed his clothes, dressed
again and went back to the ditch. About an hour
had elapsed from his first meeting with
Margaret at eight o’clock. Patrick sat with her
all night watching as people walked past
unaware that the body of a young woman was
lying there dead. Her sister and her friends
walked past at 10 o’clock and at eleven o’clock
Patrick Kilkenny decided to tell someone what
had happened. He walked to the home of the
Fitzpatrick’s where they began to talk about
Margaret. Patrick told Mr Fitzpatrick that he
had killed her but he did not believe him.
Patrick then went down to the ditch to see
Margaret but she was quite cold by now and so
he stayed with her for another two hours, and
when it was sunrise he caught a lift to Dublin
with a dairy car. He drank in a few pubs in
Dublin before going to Jervis Street to meet a
Police Constable Maguire and he told him what
had happened.
On June 24th 1865 Patrick Kilkenny was tried
for the murder of Margaret Farquhar. The
evidence was overwhelming and the jury took
just 15 minutes to return a guilty verdict with a
recommendation to mercy on the grounds that
the murder was committed in an unprecedented
manner; while the prisoner was labouring under
a fit of jealousy. However Patrick Kilkenny
was sentenced to be hanged on July 20th 1865
at Kilmainham Gaol. Thousands gathered to
see the hanging of Patrick Kilkenny and over
100 police officers attended to keep the peace.
A maniac kills his sister
and attempts suicideOn Sunday 6th of May 1895, considerable pain
was caused in the neighbourhood of Westport
by the news that Patrick Louden, the young
son of Mr John J Louden B.L., of Killedagan
House, had attacked his sister with a razor,
cutting her throat and inflicting injuries from
which she died two hours afterwards. It would
appear that at about midday the poor fellow
(who has been in a very melancholy mood for
some days past) while at his uncle’s residence,
Deer Park, was seized by a homicidal mania,
and taking up a knife attacked his uncle Mr
George Louden, who was with him. The uncle
however managed to knock the knife out of
the maniac’s hand and escaped uninjured. The
maniac procuring a razor, rushed from the
house and attacked and killed a dog. He then
ran off in the direction of his father’s house,
and on the way, cut the head off a goose at
Killedangan. He met his little sister, aged
about eleven, and immediately attacked her
with the razor, inflicting a terrible wound
across her throat. The unfortunate boy
continued on his way in the direction of
Cloona, and after having stabbed a pig there
turned the razor upon himself and inflicted a
ghastly wound, extending from the left ear to
the windpipe. The police having received the
alarm went in search of the youth and found
him lying a few yards from the main road at
Cloona. Dr Johnston of Westport was
promptly on the scene. After getting the
maniac removed to Killedangan House he
drove there himself and attended to the poor
little girl, whose case however, was hopeless,
and who, as already stated, died within two
hours of the attack upon her.
Patrick Louden was subsequently removed to
the union hospital and later convictied to a
lunatic asylum where he spent the rest of his
life.
Page 10 Ireland History Magazine
THE WEDDING AND MURDER OF THOMAS THOMPSON
I t is not often that one hears
the account of a man who
was murdered on his wedding
day but this is what happened
to Thomas Thompson of
Knocknamuckly, a village
three miles from Lurgan. It
was March 1888 and Thomas
Thompson was a respectable
master spinner employed in the
local linen mill at Gilford. This
would have been an important
job in 1888 and although
Thomas Thompson was only
twenty-five he had been a
widower for just over a year.
On the 2nd March he was to
marry a local girl named Miss
Fanny Jane Moffatt whose
father was a farmer from
Lisnamintry, which was
situated in the locality.
The weddings in the nineteenth
century were small affairs and
the bride and bridegroom were
usually accompanied by a
small group of friends who
made up the wedding party. As
the wedding party began to
walk up the aisle of the village
church the bridegroom passed
a pew where a young man was
sitting. To the horror of the
wedding party this young man
drew a revolver from under his
clothing and fired it at point
blank range at the bridegroom,
Thomas Thompson.
The female members of the
wedding party, Mary Ann
Moffatt, sister of the bride,
Fanny Jane Moffatt, the bride,
and Margaret Dillworth fled
down the aisle to escape the
gunman and the clergyman, the
Rev Oates, stood transfixed on
the alter. Although Thomas
Thompson was wounded he
fell on to the gunman and a
struggle took place for the gun.
The groomsmen began to beat
the gunman until the gun was
released and the Rev. Oates
who had pulled himself
together grabbed the gun and
made it safe. Thomas
William Thompson
Ireland History Magazine Page 11
Thompson fell the ground and
the gunman left the church and
made his way out to the
graveyard where he walked
among the tombstones and it
was here that he was arrested
shortly after the shooting. He
made no attempt to escape.
It quickly became apparent that
the gunman was known to
Thomas Thompson and was in
fact his brother in law, William
Thompson who was the
brother of Thomas
Thompson’s first wife.
Meanwhile Thomas Thompson
was removed from the church
and when the doctors arrived
to help him they discovered
that the bullet had perforated
his lung and although he fought
for his life for almost twenty-
four hours Thomas Thompson
died from the injuries he
received. It was reported that
on his deathbed when William
Thompson was brought before
him he said:
Oh, Will, I did not think you
would have done this to me; but
I am dying, and I forgive you.
William Thompson was then
charged with the murder of his
brother-in-law Thomas
Thompson and sent for trial at
the Armagh Assizes. In a twist
to the tale William Thompson’s
mother Elizabeth Thompson
was also charged initially with
inciting her son to commit the
murder however this charge
was later dropped.
The jury at the inquest into the
murder returned a verdict that
"the deceased came to his death
from the effects of a bullet
wound caused by a shot fired
by William Thompson". The
jury could not decide whether
William Thompson was insane
at the time of the murder but
they were absolutely sure that
he had committed the murder.
At the trial of William
Thompson evidence was heard
from members of the wedding
party including the bride who
confirmed that she had been
engaged to the deceased man
since Christmas of 1887 and
the accused William
Thompson who conducted
some of his own defence
suggested to her that her future
husband had been seeing other
woman while he was engaged
to her. No evidence was
brought before the court to
substantiate this.
However evidence was given
that William Thompson had
purchased a gun and that he
had spoken about the
impending marriage believing
it to be a bad marriage for his
brother-in-law Thomas and his
sister child. He felt that the
bride to be, Fanny Moffatt, was
from a bad family. William
Thompson's defence at the
assizes, Mr George Hill Smith,
attempted to have the charge
reduced to manslaughter but
the judge would not allow it
and directed the jury that they
must consider the charge of
murder. The jury retuned after
only 10 minutes and found the
accused guilty. His lordship
asked William Thompson if he
wish to say anything before he
passed sentence and this is a
brief account of his speech in
court;
Every time that this man’s
name (Thomas Thompson) was
mentioned I could not
overcome my feelings…. he
was married to my sister and
he told many things to her
which were not proper, and
charged her with
unfaithfulness towards him.
Those things, I believe, were
the curse of bringing the
disease upon her, and the effect
this had upon her mind was the
cause of her death. I was
greatly attached to her…I have
nothing more to say, my lord,
and I know that I deserve
death.
The judge agreed and
sentenced him to be hanged by
the neck at the common place
of execution on the 8th August
1888.
Page 12 Ireland History Magazine
E ight month old William McKeown, was
the illegitimate child of Mary Faulkner and
William McKeown. McKeown lived with his
wife at number 3 Newtownards Road, Belfast,
and shortly after the birth of her child Mary
Faulkner called here and gave the child to
McKeown telling him that she did not want it
and was off to America. McKeown took the
child and after a short period the whole matter
began to cause problems with his present family.
Not knowing how to resolve the problem
McKeown was told about a woman who lived
in Holywood who took unwanted children in
return for a weekly payment. Eliza Camock was
a cripple who lived in High Street, Holywood.
She was unmarried and had, living with her,
several young children who were unwanted by
their parents. In return she received a weekly
payment of 3s. 6d. for each of the children, all
of whom were illegitimate. McKeown took his
young son to this woman in April 1884, and
agreed to meet her terms. In October 1884, a
woman called to Camock's house and told her
that she was to be married to McKeown and
that she was there to collect the child. The child
was handed over and the woman took it away.
The following day the woman returned and gave
the child back to Camock telling her that
William McKeown will be collecting it.
McKeown never called and no payments were
made afterwards. Camock, not getting any
money for this child, refused to feed it and only
gave it occasional scraps left by the other
children and a small drink of milk in the
mornings and evenings. The woman who called
was lying to Camock, she was there to collect
the child in order to sell it. McKeown had
arranged to sell the child to a sea captain whose
wife wished to adopt a young boy. This plan
CHILD STARVED TO DEATH BECAUSE HE COULD NOT BE SOLDwas quashed when the child was deemed unfit
by a doctor. The woman, now having an
`unsalable' child, returned it to Camock and
McKeown was now stuck with the 'problem.'
The child continued to be kept at Camock's
house and in addition to the constant neglect
the woman was also poisoning it with small
doses of laudanum.
Martha May was a nurse for the sick poor in
Holywood. On the 3rd of November 1884, she
was passing Camock's house when she heard a
young child constantly crying inside. The nurse
knew Camock and was aware how she earned
her money but she was powerless to do anything
about it. She went to the door and demanded to
see the child in order to see what was wrong
with it. She examined the child and observed
that it was very ill and that it had strange sores
on its head. Mrs. May informed Camock that
the child was dying and that she should get a
doctor to look at it. Camock said that she would
and the nurse left. A few days later she returned
and asked Camock if she had got the doctor out
yet and was told that a doctor's line was obtained
but that the doctor had not been sent for yet.
On the 10th of November the nurse came back
to the house with two other ladies to see if the
Baby farming was a massive problem in
Victorian Ireland
Ireland History Magazine Page 13
child was getting any better. They noticed that
the child's condition was getting worse and one
of the ladies lifted it out of its dirty bed to
examine it. Mrs. May then lifted a milking bottle
from the bed and found that the milk inside was
sour and totally undrinkable. She then seen a
bottle of laudanum and asked Camock if she
had been giving this to the child. Camock told
her that she had not and that it was for personal
use. The nurse then poured it out into the fire.
A doctor was sent for and shortly afterwards
Doctor Dunlop arrived. At the child's inquest
he told the coroner;
"I found the child in a comatose state, and
dreadfully emaciated with sores on various parts
of its body. I remarked at the time that Camock
was starving the child and poisoning it with
laudanum. There was no fat on its body, and it
was in that condition that it would have been
very unwise to allow it to remain in the charge
of the woman."
The child's father was sent for as well as the
police.
Constable Megrath was the first to arrive but
there was very little the police could do in the
case. When William McKeown arrived Dr.
Dunlop informed him that Camock was starving
the child and poisoning it but Mc Keown gave
the impression that he did not care. After some
discussion Mc Keown informed the constable
that he would take the child to his home. The
following day the child was dead. Mc Keown
and Camock were arrested the following
morning.
On Thursday 11th December, 1884, William
McKeown and Eliza Camock appeared in
Belfast Courthouse before Mr. Justice Murphy.
Both were charged with the manslaughter of
the child and both tried to blame the death of
the child on each other. McKeown stated that
the child was in the care of Camock who in
turn stated that McKeown had made no
payments for feeding it. After hearing the
evidence from the medical profession and the
police Judge Murphy told the jury;
"That between the two prisoners they let the
child die of starvation. Such was the clear
evidence of the doctor who told the Court of
emaciation, the result of starvation, sores and
filth, and one of the ordinary results of this
system of baby-farming."
The jury retired and after fifteen minute's
absence, found both prisoners guilty. Judge
Murphy, in passing sentence, said;
"Now McKeown and Camock, you have been
very justly convicted of this charge on very clear
evidence. You allowed the unfortunate child to
be starved to death by your neglect. You,
Camock, could have taken it to the workhouse,
or could have appealed to the ladies in
Holywood; and you, McKeown, could have
done the same. But it was evidently thought by
you better if it were out of the way, the sooner
it ceased to exist, you thought, all the better. I
don't know where the woman was, to take it to
who was to give it to the sea captain's wife, or
what she undertook to do with it provided she
was given a proper consideration, or who she
was. But it was unconventional to receive the
child back there again. We have the history of
the unfortunate little creature's suffering; they
must have been very great up to the time of its
death. This system of baby-farming - that is, of
providing for illegitimate children according to
the convenience or disposition of those who are
the means of their coming into the world - must
be put a stop to. I sentence each of you to
eighteen calendar months imprisonment, with
hard labour, for causing the death of this
unfortunate child."
Page 14 Ireland History Magazine
FAMILY OF FIVE MURDERED IN GALWAY
On the 17th August 1882
the murders at
Maamtrasna, near Galway,
shocked the people of Ireland
at the time and have continued
to interest Irish people all over
the world ever since.
The curiosity in this event lies
in the brutality of the murders
and also in the results of the
subsequent trial in December
1882.
Five members of one family
were killed – John Joyce of
Maamtrasna, his wife, his
daughter, his mother and his
son were all murdered and
another son was left critically
wounded and left with terrible
injuries for the rest of his life.
The police arrested ten men for
the murders, after they were
given information from other
members of the Joyce family,
Anthony, John and Johns son
Paddy, who were feuding with
their cousins who they named
as the murderers.
The men arrested were Myles
Joyce, his brothers Martin and
Paudeen, Paudeen's sons Tom
who were all from
Cappanacreha; Pat Casey,
Michael Casey and John
Casey, also of Cappanacreha;
Pat Joyce of Shanvalleycahill;
Tom Casey of Glensaul, and
Anthony Philbin of Cappaduff.
The three Joyce brothers and
Tom (Paudeen's son) were not
among the murder gang but
were named anyway out of
spite. Neither were Anthony
Philbin or John Casey in the
murder gang but four men, Pat
Joyce, Pat Casey, Tom Casey
and Michael Casey, admitted
later that they were there when
the murders took place.
At the trail two of the accused
agreed to give evidence for the
prosecution, confirming what
the Joyce informers had told
the police, to save their own
lives, even though they knew
that they were lying to the
court. They were Anthony
Philbin and Thomas Casey.
Pat Joyce, Pat Casey and
Myles Joyce pleaded not
guilty, were tried, found guilty
and sentenced to be hanged.
The other five accused were
persuaded by the local priest
from Clonbur to plead guilty to
the murders to save themselves
from the hangman’s noose.
One of the five, Michael Casey,
broke down and admitted that
he had been at Maamtrasna but
that the other four were not
there and neither was Myles
Joyce but these five were all
found guilty and sentenced to
be hanged but this was
appealed and the five received
life imprisonment.
Myles Joyce, Pat Joyce and Pat
Casey were hanged in Galway
Jail on the 15th December
Maamtrasna where the murders occured
Ireland History Magazine Page 15
1882. Myles Joyce maintained
that he was innocent right to
the end and Pat Joyce and Pat
Casey tried in vain to have
Myles reprieved and they
admitted their part in the
murders as they went to the
hangman’s noose but stated
that Myles was innocent as was
his brothers Paudeen and
Martin, Paudeen's son, Tom
Joyce, and John Casey.
Myles was very agitated on the
day of the hanging and when
Marwood the executioner
came to put the noose around
his neck he left Myles standing
for a few minutes with the
noose around his neck and
Myles got his arm caught in the
rope so when the men were
suspended Myles did not die
immediately and Marwood had
to use his foot to keep Myles
down as he struggled.
The jury at the inquest into the
hanged men were very
unhappy about why Myles
Joyce had been hanged despite
the insistence of the other men
that he was innocent, and also
that the authorities had not
dealt with his distress at the
hanging as he continued to
plead his innocence. They felt
that his involvement in the
murder had not been
investigated fully and also felt
that the manner in which he
had died was one which the
court should address but the
coroner refused to answer their
questions and told them that
this was not their concern and
that they only had to decide on
how the men had died. Their
verdict was that Myles Joyce
had died of strangulation and
that Pat Joyce and Pat Casey
died from fractures of the neck
due to hanging.
In 1884 Tom Casey of
Glensaul who had been granted
immunity by the crown made
a full confession in
Tourmakeady Church, in front
of the bishop, that he had lied
in the court and that Myles
Joyce was innocent and that the
men who had been imprisoned
were also innocent.
Many people tried to get the
case reopened such as
Archbishop McEvilly and then
the case was taken up by Tim
Harrington M.P., Parnell and
the Irish Party fought long and
hard in the British House of
Commons to have justice done
for these poor men but all
attempts failed and ultimately
the Government in England
fell due to their refusal to
reopen the Maamtrasna case.
Tom Casey died a violent death
a few years later in America but
it is a dramatic part of our
history of how a murder in a
small remote village in the
west of Ireland could have such
significant consequences in the
parliament in England.
This story tells us much of
what life was like in rural areas
of Ireland at that time, the
terrible murders, how easy it
was for the men to give false
evidence, the distrust of the
local people of the crown and
its officers, the hanging of an
innocent man, the suppression
of vital evidence so that the
police could be seen to have
punished the perpetrators and
the forcing of innocent men to
plead guilty, and the
subsequent imprisonment of
these men, the admitting of
perjury by a crown witness and
the refusal by the government
of the time to reopen the case
and have justice done.
The case still generates
interest to this very day
Page 16 Ireland History Magazine
"Two charges from a shotgun into his
shoulders resulted in the death of a thirty
year old farmer, John McDermott, who
was found shot at the gateway of his
house at Rosmoylan, seven miles from
Roscommon and two miles from the
village of Cregg, shortly before 1 o’clock
this morning.
Hearing the shots, McDemotts brother
and sister, with whom he lived, ran out
from the house to the gate, about thirty
yards away, where they found the man
dying. The wounds were apparently
caused by the discharge from a double-
barrelled shotgun.
McDermott was unmarried and was well
known in the Cregg district."
This was the report published in the Irish
Times on Monday, September 5th 1932.
Shortly after the report was published
Patrick McDermott, the brother of the
victim, was arrested and charged with the
murder of his brother.
On the night of the shooting John
McDermott left his home with a man
named John Timothy who was engaged
to Kate McDermott. On his way back he
was shot dead at his own gate and the
body was left on the road way all night.
The State submitted that Patrick
McDermott with deliberate and malicious
aforethought perpetrated the crime of
murder – that he was lying in wait for his
brother and that he borrowed a gun for
this express purpose and he shot him
down in cold blood as he came in through
his own gate.
ROSSCOMMON MAN HANGED FOR THE MURDER OF HIS OWN BROTHER
On the 3rd of September Patrick
McDermott borrowed a gun and three
cartridges from Michael Connolly,
remarking that the crows were destroying
the oat crop. He came into his house at
9pm and John came in shortly afterwards.
Patrick borrowed some tobacco from
John and then went out of the house and
went to the house of Ellen Ward. Patrick
returned to the house at 11.30 pm, leaving
shortly afterwards and then a few minutes
later two shots rang out on the roadway
outside the McDermott’s house.
Ireland History Magazine Page 17
Kate McDermott went out to investigate
the noise and bumped into her brother
Patrick who asked her if she had heard
any shots. He then set off to find out what
had happened when he shouted out to his
sister, "Jack is shot down by the road. He
is dead, I shook him and there is no life
in him". Kate and Patrick set off to get
help but their closest neighbour Nora
Ward was not around so Patrick set off
for another neighbour but instead went
to the Connolly house looking for
Michael. A short time later the police
arrived at the McDermott cottage.
The police immediately began to collect
evidence from the scene. The dead mans
clothes were collected and pieces of cloth
gathered from the murder scene included
stained rags. A lead pellet was found
embedded in a beech tree and it was
reported at the time that Patrick shed no
tears for his brother at the funeral, which
was brought to the court as evidence of
Patrick’s guilt. At the four day trial over
47 witnesses were called and evidence
was heard about Patrick borrowing a gun
from his neighbour Michael Connolly
and the defence stated that many people
in the area knew that John McDermott
carried money on his person and that he
could easily be a victim of robbery.
The judge summed up the evidence in
directing the jury. The judge said that
among the Irish there was a land hunger
that led to many crimes. The dead mans
father had forty acres of land, proved to
worth about £700. John McDermott had
been left the farm and the other children;
Kate and Patrick had received £100 each.
Patrick had wanted to go to America and
it was suggested to the jury that this was
a motive so that the farm could be shared
between two siblings only. Opposed to
this motive the court had heard evidence
from several local people who visited the
McDermott house and all said that the
family got along well and were great
friends as well as siblings. The judge also
made reference to the fact that neither
Patrick nor Kate had sought a priest for
their brother and that they had also
delayed in calling the police. It was
thought that John McDermott had died a
slow death, bleeding to death at his own
gate, when perhaps medical help could
have been sought earlier. However the
Judge urged the jury to give Patrick
McDermott the benefit of any reasonable
doubt.
The jury retired for over three hours
before returning with the verdict of guilty
of murder. Patrick McDermott stated that
he was not guilty and the date of
execution was set for December 15th.
Over 100 people were outside Mountjoy
Prison when the official notice of the
execution was posted on the gate a few
minutes after eight o’clock. A small
protest also took place outside the prison
when a number of men and women
carried banners stating "British hangman
destroys Irishman. Abolish the system
and abolish crime. Pierpoint the British
hangman, hangs Irishman, Is this
justice?".
Page 18 Ireland History Magazine
They say that fact is stranger
than fiction and when it comes
to Belfast’s history this is
certainly the case. One aspect
of this history is the Crumlin
Road Prison and the events
which occurred there over its
long history. For example how
many people are aware that the
first person hanged there was
done so in a military uniform
by an executioner in a convicts
uniform? Very few I assume.
The story began on the 22nd
August 1853 in one of the
common rooms of the Belfast
Infantry Barracks, Private
Robert Henry O’Neill wreaked
a horrible revenge on Corporal
Robert Brown.
Both men were stationed at the
Barracks at the time, being
members of the 1st Battalion
of the 12th (East
Worcestershire) Regiment of
Foot. Corporal Brown had
earlier put Private O’Neill on
report for a minor misconduct.
Between eight and nine
o’clock that same evening,
when several soldiers,
including the ill-fated corporal,
were assembled in the Barrack
room, Private O’Neill
deliberately raised his musket
and fired at his victim as he was
writing at the table. As O’Neill
tried to flee from the scene, he
was arrested.
JUDGE WEEPS AS HE PASSES DEATH SENTENCEThe following day a verdict of
wilful murder was found
against him by a coroners jury.
The trial came on at the Spring
Assizes for County Antrim
before Sergeant Howley, and
the result was that he was
ordered for execution on May
5th 1854. The defence counsel,
Mr. Ferguson, having in the
course of the trial, raised two
points of law in O’Neill’s
favour - one relating to the
constitution of the jury, and the
other to the omission of certain
words in the sentence of the
judge - these points were
argued in Error before the
Judges of the Queen’s Bench
in Dublin.
Successive reprieves finally
ended with a verdict of guilty.
It was reported at the time that
when the dreadful moment
came for the judge to don the
black cap and pass the death
sentence tears were streaming
down his face and his apparent
unease and grief was equally
matched by O’Neill’s
convulsive sobbing as he was
supported by warders in the
dock.
The convict was returned to the
condemned cell and three
priests visited to comfort and
console him. On the morning
of his execution he expressed
his desire to be executed in his
military uniform, stating that it
would completely unnerve him
to appear before the crowds in
his grave clothes. This request
was subsequently complied
with.
Crowds began to assemble at
the gaol from an early hour. By
twelve noon it was estimated
that the crowd numbered no
fewer than twenty thousand.
The throngs covered the road,
the fields adjoining, and every
eminence in the
neighbourhood, from which
even the most imperfect view
of the scaffold could be
obtained.
The final moment for O’Neill’s
execution arrived and a
melancholy procession moved
towards the gallows. The
hangman led the procession,
next was O’Neill, his face and
neck covered with the dreaded
white hood, his arms pinioned
behind his back and supported
by his clergymen. He was
helped up the step ladder to the
drop. As the hangman came
into view, there was a sudden
thrill in the crowd, as though
the multitude had been awed
by the scene for the first time.
On this occasion however it
Ireland History Magazine Page 19
was noted that the actual
hangman, even though his
identity was hidden by a crepe
hood, his prison garb was plain
to be seen. He was himself a
prisoner at Belfast Prison,
having been sentenced to three
successive terms of
imprisonment by the
magistrates for assaults
committed during his stay in
Belfast.
The crowd began murmuring
when O’Neill appeared on the
scaffold and his prayers along
with those of the clergy could
be heard resounding off the
prison walls. When everything
was ready the hangman
withdrew the bolt. The drop
fell. The sharp chucking of the
cord announcing to those
inside the descent of the
condemned man. The fall was
measured at eleven feet and
death was judged to have been
instantaneous, for the limbs
barely shrunk up and quivered
for a little while, the hands
grew black, and in less than a
minute the corpse was
motionless, except that it
swayed slightly to and fro with
the momentum of the fall. At
the fatal moment, a loud and
general scream went up from
the crowd. The cries and
wailing of the women were
reported to have been most
distressing and as the whole
scene occupied but a few
minutes the large crowds
quickly dispersed.
Victorian map of Belfast showing the Belfast Prison on the Crumlin Road
Page 20 Ireland History Magazine
ARMAGH LOVERS HANGED TOGETHER
The crime of passion has
been committed
throughout history and today
this type of offence still attracts
the public’s attention through
magazines and newspapers.
Often the public has some
sympathy for an
unpremeditated act when it
involves love, marriage and
infidelity but when a murder is
committed with meticulous
planning there is little
sympathy from the press or the
public.
Such was the case in 1815
when Reid Mulholland was
beaten with a hatchet and then
had his throat cut and left to
die. He lived outside Armagh
in Hamiltonsbawn with his
wife Jane. His elderly father
lived in the house next door
and at this time was very ill and
confined to his bed. On
February 13th Reid
Mulholland had been to Belfast
on business and returned
exhausted to his home where
he retired almost immediately
to bed. His wife Jane stayed
up and a short time later a local
man Robert Edgar, with whom
she had been having an affair,
called to the house. The couple
went to her husband’s bedroom
where Robert Edgar proceeded
to attack Mulholland with a
hatchet on his head. When
Mulholland finally fell to the
floor Edgar picked him up,
dragged to his bed and then
took out a knife and slit his
throat. He calmly cleaned
himself up, took the weapons
and some money and made his
escape through a hole in the
house wall.
Jane Mulholland waited while
Edgar made his escape and
when she knew he would be
some distance away she ran to
her neighbours house shouting
that her husband had been
attacked by two robbers and
that he had been murdered.
Immediately suspicion fell on
Jane Mulholland and her lover
Robert Edgar as many people
in this small community were
aware of their affair. A search
was made of Edgar’s property
and there the police found the
axe that he had borrowed from
his neighbour Ann Cully, and
a gun that he had stolen from
Mulholland was found buried
in his garden.
The authorities approached
Jane Mulholland and offered
her immunity from prosecution
if she would give evidence
against Edgar but she refused
as advised by her legal counsel.
He had told Edgar and Jane
Mulholland if they stuck to
their plea of innocent that they
would not be convicted. How
wrong this advice was and it
cost Jane Edgar her life. Jane
Mulholland under pressure
confessed to the crime and told
how Robert had actually done
the killing although the murder
plan had been discussed by
them both a long time before
the murder. They were both
charged with the murder of
Reid Mulholland and the
callousness of their crime
became apparent when
evidence against them was
given in court. The jury heard
how Edgar had visited the dead
mans father and read from the
bible to comfort him just days
before he carried out the
dreadful and brutal murder.
The couple had meticulously
planned all aspects of their
crime and in court Jane
Mulholland was chastised by
the judge not only for the
murder of her husband but also
for her infidelity. It was also
discovered that Jane
Mulholland had called for
Edgar to shave the head of her
dead husband before he was
interred.
The crime was described at the
time as "a foul, black and
Ireland History Magazine Page 21
deliberate crime" and Jane
Mulholland actions as "having
burst asunder the strongest
bonds of God and nature and
violated every obligation
known to society, virtue and
religion".
The jury took just seven hours
to pronounce a verdict of guilty
for both defendants and the
judge, Hon. Baron McClelland
on passing sentence of death on
the pair said;
It is not the purpose of
distressing or afflicting your
minds, that I have thus
addressed you both. To me it
has proved a painful task. (the
judge became distressed and
agitated at this point). But it is
for the purpose of impressing
you with the enormity of your
guilt, in the sight of God to lead
you to seek that mercy in
another world, which the
injured laws of your country
deny you in this. Your time in
life is now very short, for the
law of this land, holding such
a crime as your’s in the utmost
abhorrence, appoints the
sentence of death to be carried
into execution within the space
of forty-eight hours after the
prisoner has been found guilty.
You therefore, the day after
tomorrow shall be lopped off
from society as a withered
injurious branch. Go prostrate
yourself before the throne of
Gods grace and ask
forgiveness, through the merits
and death of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the only redeemer.
Robert Edgar’s and Jane
Mulholland were both
executed by hanging in front of
the new jail at Armagh in the
presence of a huge crowd and
their bodies dissected
afterwards in July 1815. Just
before their execution the
couple made a full confession
to the brutal murder and both
appeared resigned to their fate.
Page 22 Ireland History Magazine
In the early hours of 27th
November 1908 Thomas
Barden awoke with a start.
Someone was battering at his
front door pleading with him
to get up out of bed but by the
time Barden had got up there
was no one there. Barden was
completely wide awake by
now and he decided to go next
door to his neighbour Simon
Langtons to investigate the
matter further. As he went up
the lane to the Langton house
he saw that the lights were still
on and he could hear people
talking. As he got within
earshot he heard, "Where did
you fall? I did not touch you.
Who came in before me?"
Barden returned home without
going in thinking that perhaps
it was some family dispute and
he didn’t want to become
involved.
Later that day Thomas Barden
decided to visit the Langtons
house and went upstairs, where
he saw the dead body of Simon
Langton lying stretched out on
the floor. Barden was shocked
at the sight and realised that the
police had not yet been called.
The barracks at Cuffeagrange
outside Kilkenny were
informed and a Sergeant Tunny
came out to the house. An
examination of the deceased
SON MURDERS HIS OWN FATHER IN KILKENNYman was made and a noticeable
wound was found to his face.
The cut was across the
forehead and another over the
left eyebrow which suggested
that hair appeared to have been
pulled from the poor mans
face. The bed in the room had
been broken down and there
was considerable amount of
blood on the floor.
Immediately the police
arrested John Langton the dead
mans son and when cautioned
he denied any knowledge of his
fathers murder. The police
doctor found further wounds to
the dead mans throat such as
would be caused by the
pressure of fingers and nearly
all the ribs in the mans body
had been broken, probably due
to a man jumping on the
deceased’s body with his boots
on.
At the trial of John Langton for
his fathers’ murder the facts of
the case were briefly sketched
out by the Attorney General,
who concluded by saying that
this was a clear and convincing
case. There was no alternative,
no possibility of any other
suggestion, as to how this poor
man met his death, but that he
was deliberately killed at the
hands of the man in the dock,
the deceased’s son, John
Langton.
Mr O’Connell the local
publican gave evidence that
John Langton had arrived in his
shop looking for a drink at 5.00
p.m. but he refused him stating
that he had already had too
much to drink and he told the
court that he advised John
Langton to go home. Ellen
Hogan the Langtons servant
stated that she had seen Simon
Langton alive at around 6.00
p.m. on the 26th November
when she left him sitting by the
fire. There did not appear to
be anything unusual in his
demeanour and all was well.
The clothes, which John
Langton had been wearing,
were examined and his coat
found to be saturated in human
blood. The front of the legs of
his trousers were also covered
with blood and the ends were
so saturated with blood that, it
was in the opinion of Professor
McWeeney of Dublin, the
person wearing them must
have walked through a pool of
blood. It was also revealed in
court that the will of Simon
Langton instructed that £50
was to be given to each of his
daughters, Bridget and Annie
and that all his properties, two
farms and a house, were to be
Ireland History Magazine Page 23
given to his son John Langton.
The prosecution felt they had
established a motive for the
murder.
The defence claimed that
Simon Langton had fallen from
bed and that an unknown
person had broken into the
house and attacked Simon
Langton as he lay sleeping,
however, they asked the jury
that if they came to the
conclusion that the injuries
were caused by John Langton
that they would consider that
the prisoner was not guilty of
murder, but of the lesser crime
of manslaughter. In other
words he did not deliberately
set out with murder in his mind
and that his fathers death
therefore resulted from a tragic
and violent confrontation. The
jury took just twenty minutes
to return a verdict of
manslaughter with a
recommendation to mercy.
The judge in sentencing John
to twenty years’ penal
servitude said that he would
have handed down a life
sentence had it not been for the
recommendation of the jury.
He said that there was not
doubt that the prisoner slew his
father and then went through
the country making the
pretence that it was some other
hand that his that took the life
of his father.
This was a crime which all
people did not want to believe,
the crime of wilful murder not
against a stranger, an enemy,
someone you have a grudge
against, but your own father, a
man whom all people believe
should be cherished, nourished
and sustained.
Page 24 Ireland History Magazine
On Wednesday, July 31st, 1895 the
inquest on the bodies of Mary Ellen
Bailey and Driver Denis Donovan, 67th
Field Battery, Royal Artillery, who were
found in the river Blackwater three weeks
previous was resumed and concluded. The
greatest excitement prevailed, as for some
time past it has been believed that the
deceased weere murdered and the evidence
today showed that this belief was fully
justified.
District-Inspector Ball represented the
Constabulary authorities, and Captain
Gubbins attended to watch the intrests of
the battery to which the deceased, Donovan
belonged.
Dr Williams deposed to making an
examination of the body of Donovan. There
werre two wounds on the head with great
effusion of blood underneath, showing that
great violence had been used. His face was
badly battered and he was either dead or
utterly insensible when thrown into the
water. Death was caused by syncope
resulting from concussion of the brain. The
girl Bailey had also been severely beaten
and had previously been outraged. She
scarcely breathed after being flung into the
river.
Dr Dilworth concurred with this evidence.
In his opinion the wounds on Donovan’s
head were probably caused by a kick from
a spur on a boot, but might have been caused
by a sharp stone or other instrument of a
like nature. Donovan’s wounds could not
have been inflicted by one person.
Agnes Cooke deposed that on the night of
the occurrence she met four artillerymen on
FERMOY MURDER MYSTERYthe bridge, who said, Good night, Polly,"
when passing, and used words to the effect
that they would "do" for him or it that night.
Thomas Shea deposed that at 11 o’clock on
the night of July 1st he heard a loud piercing
scream from a female and a few minutes
after, looking out of the window, he saw
four artillery soldiers coming out from the
direction from which the scream proceeded.
A number of military witnesses were
examined, but nothing important was
elicited.
Director Inspector Ball read a letter which
Donovan had written to his mother, in which
he stated his life was a misery to him and
appealing to her to get him out of the
artillery regiment.
Coroner Rice, having summed up at length,
the jury found a verdict that the deceased
were on the night of July 1st wilfully
murdered at Fermoy by some person or
persons unknown, and added a rider
commending District Inspector Ball for the
zeal and ability he displayed in prosecuting
the inquiry and Captain Gubbins for the
manner in which the Royal Artillery aided
the investigation. They also expressed their
dissatisfaction at the manner in which the
ajority of the military witnesses gave their
evidence.
District Inspector Ball said the constabulary
would continue to do their best in the matter.
He wished that some of the thirty or forty
persons who were up the river walking on
the night in question would come forward
and give the police information of what was
within their knowledge.
The brutal crime remained unsolved.
Ireland History Magazine Page 25
ARMAGH BABY DROWNED IN KITCHEN BOILER
On Tuesday, March 27th 1888 the daughter of the late Colonel Prior, who had been the commander of the military in Armagh, was
arrested and charged with the murder of a four-year-old child named Ann Slavin. Miss Belina Prior was arrested in her mother’s
house at Vicar’s Hill, Armagh on a charge of having drowned the infant in a kitchen boiler. The child victim of this brutal attack was the
daughter of Joseph Slavin, a whitewasher from the same area. On Wednesday July 12th 1888 Belina Prior appeared before Mr Justice
Murphy and was indicted with having on the 27th March 1888, wilfully, feloniously and of malice afterthought, killed and murdered
one Ann Slavin at Armagh.
Mr Orr in stating the case for the crown said the circumstances of the case were straightforward. The accused, a young girl just out of
their teens, without any motive whatever, stood charged on her own statement, with the wilful murder of that child. Miss Prior lived
with her mother, two brothers and a sister, in a house at Lettuce Hill, Armagh. It was suggested that there was a tin can next to the boiler
and it was also suggested that the child overbalanced and fell into the boiler. Miss Prior, losing her presence of mind at not being able
to save the child’s life, falsely accused herself of murder. They would have to consider whether or not Miss Prior was insane at the time
she committed the crime and the medical evidence which the Crown would produce would, he hoped, enable them to determine that
question.
The court was told how on the day of the tragedy a young girl named Catherine Slavin, brought her sister up to Mrs Prior’s house. Miss
Prior asked to mind the little girl and told her sister to come back in an hour for her. It appears that Belina Prior brought the infant into
the dining room of the house where she was given some sweets. Belina’s sister Adele was present. The child was kept there for a short
while before being brought down into the kitchen. According to Adele Prior they had only been in the kitchen for fifteen minutes when
Belina came back without the child. She was as white as a ghost and her dress was wet. Adele asked what was wrong. She instinctively
knew that something terrible had happened. Belina just muttered, " run down, I did not do it." She then changed her claim by saying that
she did do it, "I have killed the child.". Adele went down into the kitchen where she found the dead child in the boiler with its head
down. The water was cold and she lifted its limp body out. It was too late.
Mr Gerrard explained how easily his client frightened, insinuating that perhaps the child fell into the boiler by accident and that perhaps
through fright the girl lost her senses and abandoned the child. The previous summer, he claimed, she saw the face of a man at the
scullery window and that paralysed her.
However it transpired in the court proceedings that maybe something more sinister was afoot. The court heard the deposition of Rev
Benjamin Wade.. He stated that on the afternoon of that tragic day Mrs Prior called on him and asked him to go to the house. On
arriving, Belina was standing in the parlour and he said to her, "What is it that you have done?" She replied, "I will give you no answer."
He asked her again and she said, "I will not answer a word." The prisoner, looking at her mother, said, "I have paid you off. Everyone
has been unkind me." Rev Wade went over to the accused and said, "Now, don’t you know you have deprived that poor child of its life
and what the consequence might be?" Belina Prior replied, "Well I am sure I will be hanged, and I will be glad of it."
The court was then presented with evidence from various eminent medical witnesses explaining that in their evidence when she was
examined she appeared to be in an excited state. This could have been because of the shock of witnessing the deceased die although she
could have been like this before the death. It was this evidence which was vital in ascertaining whether or not Belina Prior was insane
at the time of the child’s death. The court heard that while she was in prison she had tried to commit suicide by cutting her own throat.
She was removed from the prison to the lunatic asylum. Mr Gerrard tried to find out if there were any marks of violence on the body of
the child and also, considering that there were stones at the bottom of the boiler, were there any marks which would have proven that the
child’s head had been forced against them. There were none.
In the end of the day the jury retired and returned with the verdict of guilty but that she was indeed insane at the time of the committal
of the act. Belina Prior was ordered to be kept in custody as a criminal lunatic in Her Majesty’s Gaol until Her Majesty’s pleasure be
known.
Page 26 Ireland History Magazine
Edward Gillespie aged 40,
was charged with the
murder of his wife Jane
Gillespie on the 27th
September 1900. The
Gillespie’s lived in the small
town of Carndonagh in Co
Donegal and they lived
humble lives. Edward
Gillespie had at one time been
in the navy, leaving when he
came to live in Carndonagh
and marry Jane Devlin.
Shortly after Jane and Edward
got married Edward was
appointed as the warder of the
"idiots’ ward" in the
Carndonagh Workhouse,
which was situated between
the Derry Road and the
Donagh River. Edward spent
his nights living at the
workhouse while Jane lived in
a small house in the town.
Their lives were simple and
routine and they did nothing
to attract any particular
attention until the morning of
the 28th September when the
dead body of Jane was found
by Patrick McAleaney in the
Donagh River, lying on a heap
of stones. Jane was dressed
in a petticoat but she had
neither skirt nor shawl on.
Her skirt was found a short
distance away at Thompson’s
bridge, turned inside out and
torn from top to bottom.
THE UNSOLVED MURDER OF JANE GILLESPIE
An inquest was held and as
the Gillespie house was close
to Thompson’s Bridge it was
assumed that she fell into the
river when in a state of
drunkenness, and the matter
of her death was treated as
misadventure.
However on the 1st of
October Jane’s shawl was
found, attached to a
whitethorn bush, in the river
and it was obvious that she
must have got into the river
Ireland History Magazine Page 27
where the shawl was found.
The police examined the
scene on the riverbank and
they found marks of a
struggle as well as portions of
a sally bush torn and broken
and on one of the torn bushes
they found a piece of thread
which corresponded exactly
to the skirt of the deceased at
the part of the river where it
came close to the workhouse.
The police questioned
Edward Gillespie and he
swore that the last time he had
seen his wife was on the
morning of the 28th
September and that he could
think of no reason why
anyone would hurt his wife.
Jane Gillespie was
subsequently buried at
Cockill but after the police
continued their inquiries her
body was exhumed on the
11th October when it was
discovered that she was
unconscious when she
entered the water.
Gillespie then decided to
change his first statement to
the police by telling them that
he believed that his wife was
having an affair with one of
the inmates of the workhouse,
Patrick McGready, and
Edward Gillespie claimed
that on the night of his wife’s
death he heard McGready go
out of the workhouse and he
suggested to the police that
McGready went to the river
for the purpose of murdering
his wife.
The police did not believe this
story and instead they put
forward evidence and motive
to the trial of Edward
Gillespie, which opened in
Lifford in July 1901. They
believed that Jane was an
alcoholic and that on the day
of her murder she had gone
down to see her husband at
the workhouse looking for
drink. It was well known in
Carndonagh that Edward
Gillespie did not approve of
his wife’s drinking and he had
been heard berating her in
public about the people she
had been drinking with. It
was also suggested that there
were many men callers at
their home while Edward was
at work but this was only
rumour and supposition and
the judge warned the jury that
there was no evidence that
these rumours were true.
The police were convinced
that Edward was guilty and
did little to investigate his
claims that McGready had
threatened him and his family
and that this was over a sum
of money that had gone
missing from the workhouse.
A local woman called Mary
Toy told the court that she had
seen Edward with his wife on
the evening before she died
and that they were in good
terms with each other and that
Jane seemed sober but that
she had in recent weeks not
been herself and had been
more aggressive that normal.
The medical evidence at the
trial came from two experts
who confirmed that Jane
Gillespie was unconscious or
dead before she entered the
water. There was no water in
her lungs and both experts
believed that if Jane had fallen
into the water drunk the cold
water would have revived her
enough to either get out of the
water or she would have
drowned.
In his summing up Mr Justice
Kenny advised the jury that
they should remember that no
motive had been suggested by
the crown why Gillespie
should murder his wife. The
jury retired and within 45
minutes returned to the court
with a verdict of not guilty.
Edward Gillespie was
discharged and no one was
ever convicted of the murder
of Jane Gillespie.
Page 28 Ireland History Magazine
On the 11th July
1908 Elizabeth
Farrelly was put on
trial before Justice
Gibson at Cavan
Assizes for attempting
to murder her husband
Patrick Farrelly at
Clifferna, near
Bailieborough on the
14th June. It was
alleged that she had
tried to poison him at
his home. On the day
of the trial the
courtroom was packed
as this was an unusual
case, not often heard in
Cavan and there had
been much speculation
and newspaper interest
in the story.
Mrs Farrelly appeared
in court drawn and
looking very unwell,
so much so that she
had to be attended by
a warder into the dock
and she seemed hardly
able to stand.
As she stood in the
dock the clerk of the
court read out the
charge that she,
Elizabeth Farrelly was
charged with
feloniously and
u n l a w f u l l y
CURIOUS CAVAN POISON CASEadministering a large
quantity of tartar
emetic, with intent to
inflict bodily harm.
Elizabeth Farrelly had
been born in Cavan
and had left Ireland to
live in America in the
early 1900’s. She
returned to Stragh in
Cavan in 1907 and
moved in with her
family. A short time
later she met Patrick
Farrelly and after a
whirlwind romance
they got married on the
1st March 1908. She
then moved in with
Patrick and his parents
in a small house at
Clifferna. When
Elizabeth returned to
Ireland she had
brought with her a
considerable sum of
money, which she had
earned in America.
She was quite an
independent and
confident woman, a
very different one that
appeared in the dock in
the Cavan court.
The prosecution set
out their evidence that
on the 14th June
Patrick had
complained of
suffering from a sore
throat and a cold.
They described how
immediately his wife,
Elizabeth had offered
him a drink to cure his
illness and that she had
given him a dose of a
deadly emetic known
as tartar emetic, which
was concealed in a jar
of cream of tartar. At
this early stage in the
proceedings Elizabeth
began to sway in the
dock and turned very
white and the judge
who had observed this,
directed that she
should be allowed to
sit down, a privilege,
which Mrs Farrelly
accepted with relief.
The proceedings
continued when
counsel for the crown
described how
although the drink that
Elizabeth gave to
Patrick had not been
fatal but that evidence
they had would show
that it might have
been. After taking the
drink Patrick began to
vomit violently for
several hours and took
cramps. This went on
from about eleven o’
clock in the morning
until four o’clock in
the afternoon. Farrelly
sent for the local
medic, Dr Ryan who
visited him later that
afternoon. A few days
later the police in the
course of their
investigations, after
being alerted by the
doctor, took a sample
of the vomit and sent
it to be analysed. The
analysis by Mr
Barklie, used newly
discovered forensic
techniques, and
revealed that the tartar
emetic and the cream
of tartar had been
mixed skilfully and
uniformly throughout
the whole body of the
contents of the
package. Three and a
half grains of tartar
emetic were found in
the vomit sample, two
grains of which would
normally cause death.
The evidence clearly
suggested that the
poison had been mixed
into the cream of tartar
on purpose.
Ireland History Magazine Page 29
When questioned
about the mixture Mrs
Farrelly said nothing,
she could not say
where the deadly
poison had been
purchased and the
police at first did not
suspect Elizabeth.
They had questioned
the family and local
community and
everyone agreed that
the newly weds were
very happy and that
Elizabeth had mixed
well with the
neighbours and that
there were no
disagreements within
the family. Patrick
himself could not
come up with any
reason why his wife
would try to kill him
but the police became
suspicious when
Elizabeth refused to
answer their questions.
When Patrick took the
stand the crown asked
him about a further
incident when he was
unwell and he
described an event on
the 6th June 1908. He
had been feeling a
littlie unwell and his
wife had offered him a
drink of cream of
tartar. When she gave
it to him he had
complained of a
strange smell from the
drink, but took it
anyway. As he was
drinking it he tasted
grains in his mouth
and stopped drinking.
The next day he
vomited a couple of
times, but this time
recovered quite
quickly. Again a few
days later he had
another drink made
from the cream of
tartar and this time he
was so sick that he had
to be helped to his bed
by his wife and
mother. Each time he
had taken a drink his
wife and mother had
been present.
The defence then
questioned Patrick and
asked him about his
drinking habits and it
became clear in the
court that Patrick often
took a fair amount of
whisky but this did not
make him aggressive
or violent, but often
made him sick. The
defence pointed out to
the court that no one
else in the house had
been questioned about
how the cream of tartar
had come into the
house and that in fact
it was quite possible
that the cream of tartar
had been in the house
long before Elizabeth
Farrelly had moved
into the house.
No more evidence was
heard and the jury
retired to consider
their verdict but
returned within a few
minutes finding Mrs
Farrelly not guilty on
all charges and she
was immediately
discharged.
No further
investigations were
ever carried out to find
out how the poison
had got into the house.
Patrick Farrelly did
not suffer any further
sickness and the
Farrellys lived happily
in Clifferna for many
years.
Page 30 Ireland History Magazine
THROAT SLASHED FROM EAR TO EAR IN DUBLIN
The Doyle family had been living at No
13 Grants Row for seven months.
Three months previously, in October 1909,
Josephine Doyle left the family home and
only returned to it in January 1910. There
was bad feeling between Josephine and her
brother Thomas and on the evening of 15th
January 1910 he warned her not to remain
in the house for another night. Their
parents were dead and the two brothers
Thomas and William in the recent absence
of the sister had occupied a single
apartment. That night, however, ignoring
her brother’s threats, Josephine Doyle
remained in the house. At around 3.00 am
in the early hours of the 16th Thomas
returned to the house and finding his sister
in the room quickly drew a razor across
his sisters throat, causing a deep wound
from ear to ear. He then attacked his
brother William who struggled to save
himself. He received two wounds on the
head and several on his fingers.
None of the other residents of the house
heard any of the scuffles in the Doyle’s
room. They were only made aware of what
had occurred when William Doyle after
freeing himself from the struggle with his
brother, rushed down the stairs and
knocked on the Duffy’s room, a family who
also lived in the house. He called out
"Duffy, Duffy, get up, Tom is after killing
my poor sister". Duffy got up and almost
immediately Tom Doyle rushed downstairs
behind his brother and on entering Duffy’s
apartment, stated in a furious tone that he
was after "doing" her and threw the razor
on the floor. William Doyle’s injures were
attended to at the Sir Patrick Dun’s
Hospital, but it was not considered
necessary to detain him.
The police immediately visited the scene
and found the girl, Josephine, already dead
and lying in a pool of blood. Blood was
also scattered over the bed and blood was
also smeared on a table and other furniture
in the room. On examination it was found
that a deep wound had been inflicted to her
throat, all the veins and arteries and
windpipe had been severed. The wound
extended from ear to ear and around by the
back of the neck, almost severing the head
from the body. The police called in Dr
Dallas Pratt, of Fitzwilliam Square, and
when the doctor arrived and saw the nature
of the wound he pronounced that death
must have been instantaneous, "the wound
being of such a character that one so injured
could not live for a minute".
Thomas J Doyle was indicted for the wilful
murder of Josephine Doyle and evidence
heard in court revealed that on 22nd
October 1906 the accused was convicted
of unlawfully wounding Josephine so
seriously that he was sentenced to three
years penal servitude. He was discharged
The horrific murder of Josephine Doyle sent
shockwaves throughout Dublin
Ireland History Magazine Page 31
in 1908 and returned to the family home
as he had no where else to go and remained
there with his brother. The accused also
had been wounded in the Boar War and
was discharged from the army in 1904.
William Doyle was called to give evidence
and he explained how the family unit had
broken up but the day before her death,
Josephine, his sister, had returned to the
house again at Grants Row. Thomas had
been out and William met his sister at
Duffy’s room for a drink. He claimed that
there had been a bit of a singsong in the
room and then he and his sister went to his
room along with Mrs Duffy where they
drank another bottle of stout. Later on, his
brother, Thomas, came in bringing a young
woman with him. William Doyle claimed
that he protested at this and said that he
would pay no more rent for the place if his
brother was going to bring people like that
into the house. The young woman then
went out followed by Thomas Doyle.
William Doyle claimed that he went and
closed the door after them but 20 minutes
later he heard his brother knocking the
door. William tried to stop Thomas coming
in but he forced his way in and after taking
just two steps to where his sister was
sitting, he drew a razor straight across her
throat. Thomas then attacked him and tried
to cut his throat but as he still had his
clothes on and a heavy coat, he was saved.
Thomas Doyle’s defence rested on the
accusation that William and Josephine
Doyle were engaged in an inappropriate
relationship for a brother and sister and that
he got into such a frenzy about the relations
between the two that the took his razor and
killed his sister and attacked his brother.
Mr Hanna, his counsel, stated that the law
was that a man in a case of this kind was
not to be held guilty of the extreme crime
where there had been provocation of that
kind.
The jury retired and deliberated for just
over an hour and returned a verdict of not
guilty to murder but guilty of manslaughter.
Thomas Doyle was sentenced to fifteen
years of penal servitude.
The accused had been injured in the Boar War
Page 32 Ireland History Magazine
WAS AN INNOCENT MAN HANGED IN GALWAY?
O n Sunday April 24th
1881 the house of John
Leyden was broken into by a
group of six or seven people
and the occupants, John
Leyden and his son Martin
were taken from their beds
and brought outside. Both
men were shot, the father
John, receiving three bullet
wounds to the chest and his
son Martin was shot twice in
the groin, once in the lung and
twice in the wrist.
John Leyden died at the scene
and his son Martin was very
critically injured.
Several days after the
shooting a young man named
Patrick Walsh was arrested
and was identified by Martin
Leyden as being one of the
men who had carried out the
attack on the him and his
father.
The whole incident was
shrouded in mystery and the
motive for the attack was
unknown as both men and all
their relatives were known
locally as quiet and in
offensive people. The brutal
attack had been
overshadowed in the press by
the death of Lord
Beaconsfield, Disraeli, and
the Irish Land Bill was also
being read before the House
of Commons and there was
much civil strife relate to this
land question.
Just several weeks after the
trial Patrick Walsh was
executed at the jail in Galway
City for the murder of John
Leyden Patrick Walsh. At the
time there was a great deal of
doubt over the sentence of
death and that many believed
that Patrick Walsh was
innocent of this crime.
On the day of his death people
were heard to say that his
death was "nothing more than
judicial murder", while others
said that "God alone had the
right to take a life".
Walsh’s fortitude and self
possession, the kind words
spoken of him by the priest,
his youth and sensibility and
above all his final words,
marked him as a man on
whom it were most difficult
to believe the guilt of the
murderer lay. Preparations for
his execution were elaborate
and the scaffold was
positioned so that the gaze of
other prisoners could not fall
on Walsh. Captain Mason of
the jail humanely arranged for
the scaffold to be placed in a
large work yard adjoining, but
walled out from the main
building.
Here a sloping mound of
stones and clay was placed,
the upper portion being
extended by the addition of a
rough wooden inclined plane
with steps and on this was the
platform trapdoor and the
gallows. The last execution
in Galway Jail was that of
McHugo in 1880 and Walsh
was confined in the same
death cell – in the hospital
section of the building.
Walsh attended mass before
his death and received the last
rites of the church. At eight
o’clock the bells tolled and
from his cell the condemned
man came with the Priest. In
front of him were the
governor and the sub sheriff.
Father Greaven recited the
Litany. Walsh walked with
his arms free and his head
bowed as if in constant prayer.
When Walsh met the
executioner his arms were
strapped to this side although
he continued to hold his hands
up in the attitude of prayer. It
was at this point that the
strength of Walsh seemed to
waver but he remained clear
and calm in his responses to
the Litany.
Ireland History Magazine Page 33
Walsh whose face was said to
have born an expression of
placidity and gentleness said
in a clear firm tone- "I am
going to my doom. Going
before my maker, I have
declared my innocence of the
murder. Certainly I have
never committed the murder.
I was not there at all.
Witnesses came and swore
falsely against me."
He then turned his face again
towards the scaffold.
Marwood the executioner
pinioned his extremities and
place the rope around his neck
as the priest continued the
prayers and Walsh was still
speaking he responses. The
white cap was then drawn
over his face the words "Jesus
have mercy" could be heard
and the trap door swung open.
Walsh was dead in seconds
and the black flag was
immediately hoisted.
From outside the prison walls
it was reported you could hear
the wails of his mother and
sisters when they saw the
black flag appear over the
prison walls.
In an interview with a local
paper at the time the prison
chaplain, Rev Greaven told
the paper that he seldom, if
ever, met a more single
minded and truthful man that
poor Patrick Walsh and that he
believed implicitly in his
innocence, that his conduct
during the time he was
confined was most
exemplary, his piety and
devotion remarkable, and his
whole bearing one of
resignation and fortitude. He
told the paper that Walsh had
written to all of his friends
telling them that he was
innocent and that he had
written to the Lord Lieutenant
reiterating his innocence.
The trial of Patrick Walsh and
the verdict of death by
hanging changed attitudes to
the capital sentence for ever
in Ireland. There was no
desire in the people to see
criminals and murderers
punished in this way.
Page 34 Ireland History Magazine
STABBED TO DEATH AT CLONBROCK
On the morning of
Tuesday June
17th 1902, a man by
the name of John Daly,
was found stabbed to
death in a field near his
home at Clonbrock.
The previous day,
Daly, who was a coal
carter, was making
deliveries at Killesig,
Carlow. He left the
town at 9.30pm and
when he arrived home
he led his horse around
to the back of the
house. His wife
claimed that she had
waited up for him until
11.00pm and when he
hadn’t returned by
then she retired to bed,
where, she claimed,
she fell into a deep
sleep from which she
awakened at 7.00am
the following
morning.
Thinking that her
husband had not come
home she went outside
to check and when she
saw the cart out front
and the horse in the
field she assumed her
husband had got up
early and gone out to
the fields to work. She
sent her 11-year-old
son to fetch her
husband and after
searching for a short
while the boy returned
home to tell his mother
that his father was
lying out in one of the
fields, dead.
The police were
i m m e d i a t e l y
summoned and they
reported finding the
body as the boy said,
lying dead against the
incline of some rising
ground, the back of his
head in a pool of
blood. There were
some marks of a
struggle and from
where the man had
fallen there appeared
to be a pool of blood
no more than three or
four feet away. When
the body was
examined more
closely, they found a
gash, which stretched,
over the left temple to
under the left eye. Mr
Daly’s head was a
mass of perforations,
made by some very
sharp tool and a
pitchfork was found
close to the body.
Another fork with
blood on it was later
found at the Daly
home.
A local man called
Joseph Taylor was
soon arrested as the
main suspect in the
murder and Mary Daly
the dead mans wife
was also arrested.
Both Taylor and Mary
Daly were indicted for
the murder of John
Daly.
At the trial of Taylor
the Crown suggested
that he had been
having an adulterous
affair with Mary Daly.
On the day of the
murder Taylor had
been drinking heavily
and John Daly the son
of the deceased swore
that Taylor was in his
father’s house on the
afternoon of the
murder. He was sitting
by the fire with Mary
Daly and they were
talking in a low tone to
each other. The young
boy claimed that he
and his young sister
were put to bed but he
awoke when he heard
shouting outside and
saw his father being
attacked by Taylor in
the yard. The boy then
claimed that he saw
Taylor dragging his
father over the garden
and out into the field.
Taylor’s defence
suggested that it was
Mary Daly who had
murdered her husband
and that the children
told this story to
protect her. They
suggested that Mary
Daly hated her
husband, and lay in
wait for him on the
night of the murder
with a prong in her
hand, that when she
first attacked him, the
poor man ran away
and that he received
the first blow of the
prong probably on the
spot where one of the
pools of blood lay in
the field. She broke
the first prong and had
to go back for another,
which she also broke
in her attack on him,
and then finished him
off with a stone.
The jury deliberated
for 50 minutes and
returned a verdict of
Ireland History Magazine Page 35
guilty. Joseph Taylor
was sentenced to be
hanged at Kilkenny on
the 7th January 1903.
As soon as Taylor was
found guilty the trial of
Mary Daly began. The
first witness was little
John Daly who
described again the
scene of Taylor
beating his father in
the yard. The next
witness was the boys
sister, Lizzie, who
confirmed her
brother’s story.
Sergeant Conlan who
attended the scene
gave evidence
regarding the finding
of the prong behind the
door in Daly’s house.
There had been blood
on it and when he took
it out Mrs Daly said;
"He had that himself
on Sunday morning."
and that he had been
beating her. He then
asked her how the
blood came to be on it,
to which she claimed
he had cut her hands
with it. Upon further
examination of her
hands the Sergeant
claimed that the cuts
were only scratches,
similar to those you
would get from
fingernails.
The jury retired and
deliberated for 55
minutes returning a
guilty verdict with a
recommendation to
mercy. His Lordship,
in passing sentence,
said that another jury
had already returned a
verdict of guilty
against Joseph Taylor,
and he felt bound to
say he agreed with
both verdicts. The
sentence andTullamore where Mary Daly was executed
judgement of the court
was that Mary Daly
should be hanged in
the 9th January 1903 at
Tullamore, just two
days after the hanging
of Taylor. Mary Daly
was one of the last
female prisoners to be
hanged in Ireland.
Page 36 Ireland History Magazine
DEATH UNDER SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
In August 1872 the police in Carrickfergus arrested
John Gardner after the body of his wife Agnes was
found in their home by a neighbouring relative who
had become concerned that there was no activity in
and about the house. Blood was found on the bed
where Agnes Gardner died and the police immediately
suspected foul play.
Agnes Gardner was in her forties, a mother, and wife
who was married to a man who enjoyed the drink.
She had a gentle temperament and was a weak and
delicate woman.
On the 19th August Agnes went to bed early as usual
as she was an early riser. Her husband was not yet at
home so Agnes asked her eldest son, aged ten, to wait
up a little longer in case his father returned. He was
instructed to fasten the latch on the door and to unlock
the latch if his father returned. The young boy fell
asleep and did not hear if his father returned to the
family home that evening.
John Gardner had left the house early on the morning
of the 19th August 1872 in order to visit his sheep
that were grazing on the Commons. He attended to
his livestock and then bumped into some friends and
went drinking. He drank with his friends until the
afternoon and then set off for home but he called on
another friend, a watchman named John Boal, on the
way and the two men began to drink whiskey together.
John Gardner described himself as very "full" after
drinking the whiskey and it was eleven o’clock that
evening before he set off again for home. He had
been drinking almost non-stop for over 12 hours.
Somewhere on route to his home John Gardner passed
out as he told the police he could not remember
anything after leaving his watchman friend until he
woke up the next morning around five o’clock and
he found that he was lying beside a haystack in the
Prospect area of Carrickfergus.
At this point John Gardner got up and went straight
to work, unaware that his wife was lying dead in their
home and it was several hours later when the police
came to arrest him that he discovered that his wife
was dead.
However, rumours were quickly circulating in the area
that John Gardner was seen at around 4.30am in the
morning of the 20th August leaving his house. It was
these rumours, which ensured that the police held him
in custody until the outcome of the inquest into his
wife’s death.
On Monday August 24th the inquest was held in the
premises of William Donnelly, a local publican.
Despite many locals being called to give evidence as
to the whereabouts of John Gardner on the night his
wife died no one would confirm that they had seen
him leaving his house. They each said that they had
heard it from someone else and the source of the
rumour was never established. Agnes Gardner’s
eldest son was called to give evidence and he stated
that after his father left the house he did not return
until after the death of his mother. He did confirm
that his mother had not complained of being unwell
and that he did not wake until his aunt called at their
home to find out why no one was up.
As no evidence was gathered from the local
community that either exonerated or found Gardner
culpable, the coroner called for medical evidence
from Dr Josias Patrick. Dr Patrick deposed that he
had made a full examination of the body and he had
found one lung completely congested with blood.
Agnes also had fatty degeneration of the heart
although her other organs were healthy. Dr Patrick
believed that the cause of death was due to disease of
the heart and there was no real evidence of violence
against her. The blood he concluded could have come
from her coughing up blood due to her congested
lungs and the immediate cause of death was syncope,
a loss of consciousness due to lack of oxygen to the
brain.
Ireland History Magazine Page 37
The jury requested a visit to the Gardner house to
have a look around and after the visit they concluded
that the flimsy latch, which secured the door, was so
weak and without a bar that anyone could get into
the Gardner house without creating a noise.
After the medical evidence and the home visit by the
jury the coroner summed up the evidence and
although he commented on the fact that the conduct
of John Gardner in being absent in a drunken state
from his wife and family, for such a length of time
was a disgrace, there was no evidence to prove that
he was an accessory to his wife’s death,
notwithstanding this he should be ashamed of his
behaviour.
The jury returned a verdict of death by natural causes
and John Gardner was released from custody, lucky
that the medical evidence was able to prove his
innocence.
The Lamentation of Hugh Reynolds
My name is Hugh Reynolds I came from honest parents,
Near cavan I was born as you may plainly see
For the loving of a maid one catherine McCabe
mt life has been betrayed she’s the dear maid to me.
The country was bewailing my doleful situation
But still I’d expectation this maid would see me free
Boy O, she was ungrateful, her parents proved deceitful
And though I loved her faithful, she’s the dear maid to me.
Young men and tender maidens throughout this Irish nation
Who hear my lamentation, I hope you’ll pray for me
The truth I will unfold, that my precious blood she sold
In the grave I must lie cold; she’s the dear maid to me.
For now my glass has run, the last hour it has come,
And I must die for love and the height of loyalty!
I thought it was no harm to embrace her in my arms,
Or take her from her parents; but she’s the dear maid to me.
Adieu my loving father, and you my tender mother,
Farewell my dearest brother, who has suffered sore for me;
With irons I’m surrounded, in grief I lie confounded,
By perjury unbounded; she the dear maid to me.
Now I can say no more; to the Law Board I must go,
There to take my last farewell of my friends and conterie;
May the angels shining bright, receive my soul this night,
And convey me into heaven with the Blessed Trinity.
An 1826 ‘execution ballad’ from County Cavan which
told the story of Hugh Reynolds who was wrongly
accused by Catherine McCabe on the charge of
breaking and entering.
The charge was considered a capital offence back then
for which, if convicted, the culprit would have been
hanged. The execution was set for the 28th of March,
1826, but the perjury was discovered and reynolds was
freed much to the disappointment of the ballads
author!
Page 38 Ireland History Magazine
A MURDER “REVOLTING BEYOND MEASURE”
On Tuesday January 4th,
1910 at exactly 8
o’clock at Kilmainham Jail,
(bottom right) Joseph
Heffernan was executed for
the wilful murder of Mary
Walker. Miss Walker had
been a telegraphist employed
at Mullingar Post Office and
her murder caused fear and
revulsion throughout Ireland.
The Freeman’s Journal at the
time stated ‘the details
surrounding the murder were
such as to make it revolting
beyond measure’.
On 7th July 1899 a body was
found lying in a hollow at the
foot of a sloping bank beside
the canal, close to Mullingar.
Her throat had been cut and
it appeared that she had met
a violent end. The remains
were later identified as those
of a Miss Mary Walker who
lived in the town. It was said
that she loved to walk this
path when out for an evening
stroll and so on the fatal
afternoon she left her friends
and she was not seen alive
again by them.
Her lifeless body was found
partly covered by grass and
her throat had been cut from
ear to ear.
Joseph Heffernan, a labourer,
was eventually arrested and
charged with the killing. At
Heffernan’s trial the local
police described how Mary’s
body was found and that her
face was covered with blood
and her clothing was torn.
The ground around her body
appeared to be cut up
suggesting that a fearful
struggle between the poor
defenceless girl and her
assailant. The ground, which
was marshy, had been
trampled down as Mary
Walker was murdered trying
to defend herself. There was
no doubt at all that her death
had been caused by the
wound to her throat.
Miss Walker had been 25
years old at the time of the
murder and she had held
down her job at the Post
Office for nine years. Due to
the nature of the job she was
well known and liked in
Mullingar. On the 7th July
she left the Post Office at
about 2.00 pm and went to her
lodgings at Mrs Daly’s house
to have her lunch. After lunch
she left, as was her habit, at
3.15pm to have a walk along
the bank of the canal. Her
dead body was brought home
at 11.00 pm the same night.
Earlier around 4.00 pm it
turned out that she had been
spotted walking along the
canal opposite Merlehan’s
field by Thomas and Matthew
Nooney. She was then going
in the direction of the
racecourse. Thomas Nooney,
who was employed in the
Post Office and had many
opportunities of seeing Miss
Walker claimed that he
recognised her the moment he
saw her on the canal bank.
Mullingar
Ireland History Magazine Page 39
The evidence of these two
witnesses showed that after
the brothers passed, Miss
Walker sat down on the bank
at the point where it sloped
down to the railway. At
around 4.30 pm, a stable boy
named Monaghan, saw a girl
pursued by a man who
overtook her. The boy was
exercising a horse in a field
at the opposite side of the
canal so he had a good
viewpoint. The boy claimed
that the man then forced her
down the bank until both
disappeared from sight.
There was no doubt that the
man was Joseph Heffernan.
A plea of insanity was raised
on Heffernan’s behalf and the
Lord Chief Justice said that it
was up to the jury to decide
whether there was any doubt
about the mans guilt.
Heffernan was close to the
scene of the murder and had
possession of a blood stained
knife and another knife was
found near the canal. The
judge advised the jury that
they had to decide if the
accused could tell the
difference between right and
wrong and if they felt that
Heffernan could not
distinguish between them
there was a reasonable doubt.
The jury were advised that
most criminals that came
before the courts where of a
degenerate type and that if
they came to the conclusion
that the prisoner was the
author of the crime, it was
their duty, to find an
unqualified verdict of guilty.
Heffernan was said to have
made a confession to a prison
warder and this statement was
used as evidence in his trial.
"There is no use denying. I
killed the poor girl right
enough. Everybody knows it.
I don’t know what came over
me – the devil I suppose I was
drinking all that day. I put my
arm around her neck and
knocked her down. I also cut
a hole under her ear. The poor
girl died easy."
Heffernan was found guilty
and sentenced to death. After
his sentence he appeared to be
very repentant as he awaited
his death. The Sisters of
Charity attended him every
day from Basin Lane and they
prayed with him as he
attended to the ministrations
of the Church with great
devotion.
Outside the prison a crowd of 300
people had gathered to await the
proceedings. At eight o’clock the
prison bell tolled to inform those
outside the prison that the law had
taken its course.
Page 40 Ireland History Magazine
The murder of Lord
Mountmorres in
September 1880
became a significant
event in Ireland due to
the political
consequences more
than the physical result
of his murder.
Lord Mountmorres was
quite a poor Viscount in
that his income came
solely from his estate;
he lived on and by his
land, which was by no
means a large estate in
comparison with the
other large estates in
Ireland at that time.
Most other Lords also
had other income by
which to live. Lord
Mountmorres had also
become extremely
unpopular, owing both
to his inability and also
his unwillingness to
reduce rents to his
tenants.
At the time of his death
he was reported to be
about to issue decree’s
to his tenants, either to
leave their land by the
bailiff, or to pay what
was owing to him. On
the day of his death
there was a secret
meeting of the Land
THE MURDER OF LORD MOUNTMORRESLeague in Clonbar and
it was decided at this
meeting that Lord
Mountmorres would
have to be "done away
with".
In April 1878 Lord
Leitrim, while driving
near Milford, on the
shore of Mulroy Bay
was shot by persons
lying in ambush. His
car driver was also
killed, also shot, and his
private clerk was shot
twice and died later.
Lord Leitrim’s skull
was fractured and his
revolver had been taken
from him and was used
against him. No one
was ever caught for his
murder, but four men
were believed to have
carried out the murder.
The murder of Lord
Mountmorres took
place at Rusheen, near
Ballinrobe, on County
Mayo on the 25th
September 1880. He
had been in Clonbar
shopping and left town
at 8 o’clock in the
evening to return to his
residence Ebor Hall.
(pictured right) At
around 9 o’clock he
was found lying in the
road with six bullet
wounds, any one of
which would have
proved fatal. He was
carried to the house of
Hugh Flanagan, around
300 yards away, but
Flanagan refused him
admission, even though
Lord Mountmorres was
still alive. Lord
Mountmorres died a
short time later.
As far away as New
York the murder was
reported and discussed
especially among what
was then called the
respectable classes.
The Irish landowners
experienced alarm,
little short of panic after
these two high profile
murders, and political
differences between the
rich were set aside in
the presence of what
they described as
"common and
imminent danger".
These landowners felt
that there was no longer
any security for their
life or property and that
nobody could feel safe
who was connected
with the possession,
occupation, or
management of land.
At the same time the
tenants were becoming
more militant and their
rights for fair rents and
the opportunity to
purchase their own land
was being taken up by
Parnell in London and
Dublin.
Many local men were
arrested and released as
the police investigated
the murder but they
received no cooperation
from the local
community. A tenant
farmer Patrick Sweeney
was arrested two days
after the murder, he had
been given notice to
quit by Lord
Mountmorres and he
was remanded to stand
trial but later acquitted.
Patrick Hennelly was
arrested in Tipton, in
December 1880 and
charged with the
murder. He was a local
man, son of the Clonbar
butcher, but he was later
acquitted of the murder.
In the months after the
death of Lord
Mountmorres some of
his diary extracts were
published:
Ebor Hall, Aug 26 1879
..I have received
yours……As for rents,
you dare not ask for
Ireland History Magazine Page 41
them; else you would
get a threatening notice.
Ebor Hall, Clonbar,
June 4 1880
I am very sorry to have
(to say) my tenants
have not paid one
penny yet, and I do not
expect they will until I
take law proceedings
against them, which I
shall do at the end of
next month or
beginning of August.
Some of them have now
four years rent due last
month, and will neither
give up their farms not
pay part. I have offered
them 20 per cent
reduction but no use.
Ebor Hall, Clonbar,
September 8 1880
None of my tenants
have yet settled with
me, and those that I
took proceedings
against, the county
court Judge gave them
time for payment…..
Ebor Hall, Clonbar,
September 11 1880
I received yours of the
9th….I do not know
what will become of
this unfortunate
country.
After the death of Lord
Mountmorres his
widow and children
were boycotted by the
community and were
effectively ostracised
and it came that they
were no longer able to
survive in Ireland and
they had to take refuge
in England and leave
Ebor Hall for ever.
Queen Victoria set
aside apartments in
Hampton Court Palace
for the Mountmorres
family’s disposal.
No one else was
charged with the
murders but in 1892,
out of the blue, a
prisoner in Glasgow
confessed to being
involved in the murders
of Lord Leitrim and
Lord Mountmorres.
His name was
Anderson and was a
well known and
lifelong criminal and
was often convicted of
various offences. His
mind was at the time
said to be "weak", and
no charges were ever
brought, but his story is
of great interest and
gives us some idea of
the criminal fraternity
at that time.
He told the police in
Scotland that he had
assisted at the murder of
Lord Leitrim and also
of Lord Mountmorres.
He also claimed that he
had been hired to kill
the notorious informer
James Carey. Carey
was a well to do
tradesman and a town
councillor in Dublin.
Carey gave evidence
which convicted the
murderers of Lord
Frederick Cavendish,
the newly appointed
Chief Secretary for
Ireland in 1882 who
was shot dead in
Phoenix Park. Carey,
who, by dropping a
handkerchief, gave the
signal for the murderers
to do their work, gave
up the murderers in
exchange for immunity.
Carey was given
passage out of Ireland
but due to his own
indiscretions was
tracked down by
Patrick O’Donnell, who
helped by Anderson,
shot and killed Carey
on board the steamer
Melrose, at Port
Elizabeth in South
Africa. O’Donnell was
arrested and convicted
of the murder and was
executed at Newgate in
December 1883.
If Anderson was to be
believed there were a
group of hired assassins
who travelled far and
wide murdering
landowners and
establishment figures
connected with Ireland
in the late nineteenth
century.
Page 42 Ireland History Magazine
MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE AT CARLINGFORD
A strange and disturbing incident was
reported in the winter of 1935 in the North
Louth area. The whole community was shocked
when the body of a young local farmer John
Patterson was found in a small pool of water
on the 23rd February of that year. Mr Patterson
was only 22 years old and when his body was
discovered it was found bound with ropes and
a gag of stocking type material was stuffed in
his mouth.
At first the police were suspicious about how
Patterson died but quickly ruled out foul play
despite pleas from the young man’s family that
he had been killed by a group of men.
Patterson’s last hours began when he left the
house near Carlingford that he shared with his
mother, Mrs Lucinda Patterson. On the evening
of the 22nd February he had tea with his mother,
got dressed and told her that he was going to a
wake at Greenore. It was the last time Mrs
Patterson was to see her son. John Patterson
was in fact going to visit a girl he had been
going out with secretly for over two years. Her
name was Annie Marmion and John knew that
his family would never accept that she was his
girlfriend as they were of different religions.
After John left his mother’s house he went to
Annie’s employers house where they had tea
together and began to talk about their future
together, he had told her that he would marry
her back in 1934, and now that she was with
child she told him that night that if he did not
marry her she would be put out of her job as
well as her home at Rallagan. After they talked,
Patterson began to cry and he left the house
shortly after midnight. When he left he told
her that his family objected to his keeping
company with her, they would never be able to
marry. She was worried about him as he was
in a very emotional state and she wrapped a
white handkerchief around her arm and told him
as he walked away that if anything happened
to him that the cloth would be a mourning band
for him.
What happened next no one really knows but
Patterson was found 20 yards from the Greenore
road, close to a spot where the tide rose when
at full flood. He was lying on his back, his feet
bound together with a rope, the rope was also
passed twice around his body and his hands
were behind and underneath his body. White
froth had formed around his mouth, indicating
that he had drowned, and that he was most
probably conscious when he drowned. A brown
stocking was pushed into his mouth, but not
tied in place, and when he was lifted from the
pool of water the ropes were loose enough that
they had not caused any marks or bruising on
his wrists and ankles.
An inquest was held during which Patterson’s
family pleaded with the police and the coroner
to instigate an investigation in to their beloved
sons’ death. They were sure that their son
would not have killed himself and that they felt
that it was possible that John Patterson had been
assaulted elsewhere and carried, bound and
gagged, to the spot where he was left to drown
in a pool of water. The medical evidence did
not indicate a struggle and Dr McGrath told the
inquest that he believed that the cause of death
was asphyxia, due to drowning. There was no
evidence of any resistance by Patterson to the
ropes which bound him.
Ireland History Magazine Page 43
A witness was called who relayed an interesting
story to the coroner and jury. Thomas Kelly of
Ballytrasna, a fisherman, identified the rope
used on Patterson as similar to rope which
Patterson had borrowed from him a few months
earlier. A friend of Patterson’s, Daniel
O’Rourke, stated that Patterson often
experimented with ropes and would ask
O’Rourke to tie him up with ropes so that he
could not escape. Every time Patterson was
able to release himself except for one time when
Patterson asked him to tie a knot on the rope at
his back and Patterson was unable to get out of
the rope.
The jury took a long time deliberating the
evidence but eventually returned a verdict of
suicide by drowning. The manner of which was
most unusual in 1935 and would incur great
suspicion today despite the emotional distress
that Patterson was experiencing at the time the
motivation and manner of his death were weak
and out of the ordinary.
The jury said, after delivering the verdict, that
they wanted to congratulate the police for the
manner of which the matter had been
investigated and they were convinced that no
suggestion of murder could be entertained.
Page 44 Ireland History Magazine
Over 100 years ago a particularly barbarous incident
was reported in which a woman was tortured to death
because it was believed she was a witch. The woman was
Bridget Cleary and her dead body was discovered buried
in the bottom of a dyke not far from her home in March
1895. When her body was discovered it was found that
one side of her body had been dreadfully burned form the
face down to the legs.
William Simpson of Ballyvadha stated that he visited the
house of Patrick Boland one night in March with his wife
and when they arrived at the Boland house Mrs Cleary
was being given some herbs which had been bought from
Louis Ganey. Mr Simpson and his wife could hear cries
coming from the house and some raised male voices but
they could not see in as the shutters were closed and the
door was locked.
A short time later the Simpson’s went into the cottage and
there they saw Mrs Cleary being held down on the bed
surrounded by her husband, father, and four others. They
were trying to force the herbs into her mouth and they
appeared to also be throwing liquid over the woman. Mrs
Cleary was held down by force, and was screaming as the
crowd shouted, "Come home Bridget Boland" (Boland was
her maiden name). Some time later one of the men, John
Dunne, said that they should start a fire to get Bridget to
talk. Mrs Cleary was carried from her bed and she was
held in front of the kitchen fire while her father and husband
asked her questions. She was placed sideways on the hot
grate and her hip rested on it but she did not scream and
did not seem to be in any pain..
The following day Bridget Cleary disappeared from her
home and was not seen alive again and the police charged
all those who were in the house that evening with assault,
ill-treatment and actual bodily harm.
At the magisterial proceedings the jury were told how Mrs
Cleary had burned to death in front of friends and relatives.
They were Michael Cleary her husband, Patrick Boland,
her father, Patrick Kennedy, James Kennedy, Michael
Kennedy, John Dunne, William Ahearn, Dennis Ganey,
Mary Kennedy and Mrs Burke. Mrs Burke’s testimony in
court explained how Bridget was tortured by her husband
who believing his wife to be a witch sent for herbs from a
local herbalist named Ganey who was known locally as
WOMAN TORTURED TO DEATH FOR BEING A WITCHthe "fairy doctor". He believed that he could drive the evil
spirits from his wife and according to Mrs Burke this is
what he tried to do before her very eyes.
Mrs Burke went on to recall how Michael Cleary had
accused his wife of keeping the company of fairies and
how he had put her through certain tests which would seem
absurd to us today but were normal for that time. She was
also forced to drink a herb concoction and he asked her in
the name of God who she was. He then required her to eat
bread and jam three times in order to see whether she was
a human being or a fairy and when he became convinced
that she was not human, he attacked her and jumped on
her chest while she lay on the floor. He then stripped her,
and after she had been placed over the fire he tried to drive
out the fairies. He threw paraffin oil over her and then
placed her on the fire where the body became disfigured
and burned and some of those gathered in the room fainted
at the smell and smoke in the room.
Mr Cleary afterwards came up and got some sacks and
with the assistance of the others took away the body, the
party taking with them also a spade and a shovel. This
occurred in the middle of the night and the next day Michael
Cleary allegedly made Mrs Burke swear on her knees that
his wife had vanished and no one knew what had become
of her. He told her that it was not his wife that he was
burning but a fairy and that she would see the fairy
disappearing up the chimney. Michael Cleary, apparently
after burying the body still believed that it was a witch he
buried and not his wife, whom, he believed was still a
prisoner of the fairies at Kylenagrapagh Hill. He believed
that this ancient fort was now a fairy inhabitancy and Cleary
expected to meet her at the fort. He told Simpson that if
he went up to the fort his wife would appear riding a grey
horse
Before the trial the charges against Denis Ganey were
dismissed. He claimed he only administered herbs to the
sick woman and had no part in torturing her, Michael Cleary
asked that he be allowed to withdraw his plea of not guilty
to murder and plead guilty to manslaughter. The crown
accepted this and the jury brought in a guilty verdict. The
jury after a deliberation of forty minutes found all the
prisoners guilty of wounding her but not killing her – almost
as strange as the case itself!
Ireland History Magazine Page 45
START MID MARCH
PRICE £2.50 (NI) €3 (RoI)
ISSN 2047-3443
Issue 3
On Sale January
Issue 4
On Sale March
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We hope that you enjoyed this fascinating collection of true Irish
murders. We plan to compile another edition around June 2012
but before that we hope you will enjoy the next editions of the
Ireland History Magazine which will be released on the dates below